Before He gave Moses instructions regarding the feasts, however, the Lord ordained a Sabbath – “a solemn rest, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3). This day was the foundation for the feasts and gave the people a solemn focus on and worship of the Lord God. Part of the purpose was remembrance of and thanksgiving for what the Lord had done for them

Our goal for our children stems from God’s own goal for us. He wants us to enjoy things as they rightly are. Sticks to be sticks, food to be food, sex to be sex, and glory to be glory. But we all know that our desires and our capacity for joy gets all mixed up. We are, as CS Lewis said,“…half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and a

Bible verses to meditate on when you are having financial concerns: Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:26What Can Get in the Way of Being Positive: Relationship TroublesMost merciful Lord, thank you that You are the author of relationship. You didn’t think it was best for Adam to be alone so you created a woman and a relati

1. Reliable Translations All Convey God’s Word For some congregations, there is only one version of God’s Word – the King James Version (KJV). Those who are adamant about only reading this version adhere to a movement called King James Only, though some may not specifically call their viewpoint by this name. Regardless, the message is the same: Chr

1. Joy Unspeakable “Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:20).American minister Barney Elliott Warren, contributed to song books and hymnals, writing the words – and sometimes the music – for 2000 hymns and children's songs in his lifetime. In this piece, Warren shared his delight that we can seek and spend time in God’s presence.“I

Christian scholars have been keen to reinforce the reasonableness of their faith, highlighting the significant amount of evidence they possess surrounding Christ and the disciples, and dismissing any assertions suggestive of mere legend.How Does This Impact Our Faith?What if it turns out that Peter was not crucified upside-down – how would that imp

Abijah lived like a carnal ChristianIf I had to place a label on Abijah, I would say that he represents the modern-day equivalent of a carnal Christian. This person knows the right way to live and may even desire to live rightly; however, the draw of sin and the pleasures of this life overshadow that desire. Jesus said it this way:"The seed falling

How Have Some Groups Improperly Used the Term Zion?Unfortunately, despite the hopeful and pure idea of biblical Zion, some groups have misused the word to promote political or racist ideologies. Some white supremacist or nationalist groups have adopted the term Zion. Some extremist Christian movements claim Zion belongs to white Europeans, teaching

Pantheism reports that the universe is God manifested, so all matter (including humans, trees, animals, and insects) has God in it. The lines between creator and creation are blurred; in some cases, pantheists may argue that God is in the cockroach, and by squishing the bug, you are hurting the God of all creation.Scripture agrees that God is sover

1. Invest Where God Has YouEmbrace your current situation and make the most of the opportunities before you. This means recognizing that God has a purpose for you in your present circumstances and committing to grow and serve right where you are. Instead of anxiously looking ahead or longing for a different season, you focus on being faithful and f

1. The Holiday Season Isn’t about the Gifts or Parties With Thanksgiving and Christmas back-to-back, we can be quick to believe that the season is all about what gifts we give to others and the parties we hold or attend. These aspects of the season can bring uncertainty if our finances aren’t what they were a year ago, or if you feel the pressure t

James offers the solution to our anxiety: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:15). No matter what the believer faces, it’s the Lord’s good and perfect will that matters, and resting in that truth, we can be released from the grip of fear.In “You Can Loosen Your Grip on the Future,” Jen

1. Gideon: Temptation of Power“But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you’” (Judges 8:23).This could have been the start of a revival of faith, worship, and obedience to Yahweh among the Israelites following their defeat of Midian. Yet in the next verses, Gideon requested that

Is Cryptocurrency the One World Currency in the End Times?Some people speculate that cryptocurrency might become the one world currency mentioned in the book of Revelation because of its technological nature, global reach, and potential to centralize economic transactions. While Revelation does not explicitly mention a "one world currency," certain

But even if we don’t remember what we’ve written, a prayer journal provides a record of our conversations with God that can serve as a spiritual growth chart. When looking back at the pages of our journal we can see God’s faithfulness in action through every season, become aware of our own patterns of sin, and keep track of answered prayer. Our pra

“will carry it on to completion…”God is simply saying that if we stick with Him, He will not leave us alone. He created us in His image, and He designed our paths before we were knitted in our mother’s womb. God will not save us only to leave us. His birth, life, and death would have been in vain if so. There is nothing that God begins that He will

As he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the

God is not obligated to fulfill our will and our wishes, even though He delights to grant us good things, as we have all likely experienced. But God has obligated Himself to perform His will and fulfill His promises. It’s part of His nature. It’s who He is.If we have a promise from God that we find in His word, we can know with confidence that God

Paul urges believers not to be proud, but rather to “associate with people of low position” and not be conceited (Romans 12:16). Humility means seeking out people in need and seeing them through the eyes of Christ. Humility means ministering to others as Jesus would.Being humble isn’t believing that we are insignificant. It’s not a matter of thinki

The Westminster Confession expresses the impact of the fall on each of us: “From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.” (WCF 6:1-4) In other words, we are sinners not because we sin, but rather, we sin because we ar